Before you buy a new pet, look for one who needs a home. And since sulcata tortoises are often purchased as babies, they’re also often looking for new homes when they grow up. You can find an adult or larger sulcata tortoise for adoption through various avenues.
Why Do People Get Rid of Sulcata Tortoises?
There are many reasons that someone may want to, or have to, give away their sulcata.
Grew too Big
Even though people do the research, they don’t always understand how big sulcata tortoises really get. And a 100-pound tortoise is large. A large 100-pound tortoise can become destructive. It can even become territorial to you, ramming you or others when you enter their space.
Requires More Space Than What’s Available
This reason ties into “the tortoise is too big.” Sometimes you don’t realize how much space an adult sulcata tortoise needs. And other times, you may have had to move and the new yard doesn’t have the same amount of space as the old yard.
Can’t Provide Appropriate Diet
Even though the owners may have done all the research, it can get confusing. There are so many opinions on what a sulcata tortoise should eat, and the owners may realize that they just can’t provide a diet of 80% grass.
Multiple Males
Many people purchase two or three baby sulcatas. When those tortoises grow up, there may be two or three males in the bunch. Sulcata tortoises are territorial and are solitary animals. Multiple males can easily lead to bullying, stress and injury. If the appropriate space cannot be made where each male is kept separate, the owner may have to relinquish the “extra” male(s) in order to keep one safe and healthy.
Male and Female Pairings
Similar to buying two or three baby sulcata tortoises and ending up with multiple males, you could end up with a male and female pair or a male and two female group. Since you can’t tell the gender of a sulcata tortoise when they’re babies, you take a risk buying multiple babies at the same time.
If the owner doesn’t want to breed, he may have to find a home for one of the tortoises.
Or maybe the owner notices excess stress on the one female (assuming theirs just a male/female pair). If he does not have the space to create separate enclosures outside, he may have to rehome one of the tortoises. Males will constantly try to mate with females, and if there is just one, that one female can become stressed, which can lead to health problems.
Sulcata Tortoise is Too Expensive
The $50 baby tortoise becomes a several thousand dollar adult tortoise. Not only do you need more food to feed an adult tortoise, but you’ll need to winter accommodations, lager outdoor space, etc. You’ll also have a more expensive vet bill if anything were to happen.
Adopt an Adult Sulcata Tortoise
It’s not always an easy decision to give up a beloved pet, so one can’t necessarily judge the reasoning behind the choice. All you can do now is to adopt and try to provide the best permanent home possible.
And remember that just because someone else had to give up their sulcata, doesn’t mean that the sulcata won’t make a good pet for you.
Talk to the foster parents or rescue. Find out all the details about why the tortoise was given up, and make the educated decision about adopting an adult sulcata tortoise instead of buying a sulcata.
